Editorial: Closed courtrooms hide flaws

A horrific story by The Bee's Marjie Lundstrom and Sam Stanton begins, "Despite the fact that her infant son hadn't been seen by family members or authorities for at least two months, a drug- using mother was ordered released from jail in June by the Sacramento County Juvenile Court."

The story of "Baby Dwight" has trickled out, in large part because of persistent digging by The Bee's reporters.

What happened in that court? How could the court release the mother, Tanisha Edwards, without anyone knowing the whereabouts of Dwight Stallings, her child who is still missing? We're not even sure of the name of the judge or court referee who authorized Edwards' release.

We may never know answers to these basic questions because of the routine secrecy in juvenile dependency court.

This incident should spark new efforts to open these court proceedings to the public.

Things, however, are not moving in that direction. Legislation by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, to launch a four-year pilot to open dependency court hearings in three counties stalled last year, and died in February. A similar bill by then-Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, died in 2004.

Feuer's Assembly Bill 73 clearly stated the problems with the current closed system: "It is difficult for the public or the Legislature to address problems or inadequacies in a court system if the system is hidden from public view."

Child safety issues are decided in secrecy, behind closed doors without relatives and friends, advocates and the media to monitor what is going on.

Public access to these court hearings would better ensure that the entire child protection system, including the juvenile dependency courts, can be held more accountable.

California should open all these courts. This would not be new. From 1937 to 1961, state law did not require that the hearings be closed. Today, 19 states have open courts and have not seen harm to children.

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Editorial: Closed courtrooms hide flaws